Artemia salina

Brine shrimp ( Artemia salina )

The brine shrimp ( Artemia salina ), sometimes Salinkrebschen, brine shrimp or salt cancer (note: as brine shrimp one calls the other hand, the parent genus ), is among other species of the genus Artemia in pet stores in the form of frozen food and " eggs " sold as ornamental fish fodder. He may be found in salty waters worldwide in a natural setting.

In Germany, the brine shrimp was known primarily as a primitive cancer, as it was sold to the youth magazine Yps under this name since the mid-1970s several times as a gimmick (Supplement ). The most common breeding line should be Artemia Nyos, under the trade name Sea-Monkey (literally sea - monkey) is distributed mainly in the United States.

In the trade, not only the resting eggs of Saline cancer, but also the similar Artemia species are referred to as Artemia salina regularly.

Biology

The species lives in salt water and feeds on algae filtration and nano- plankton.

When the eggs are actually multicellular cysts with inactive metabolism ( cryptobiosis ). In this state they can survive in dry, oxygen-free environment for several years. So kind eggs will only be released from the parent animals when the salinity increased, which announces the imminent drying up of domestic salt lake. Otherwise, the salt crabs lay eggs with a thinner shell. These eggs hatch in a short time, but can not survive drought.

As fish feed Artemia nauplii are often used, which hatch by placing the eggs in salt water depending on the temperature after 12 to 36 hours and in the course of a month up to a length can grow one centimeter. One to two teaspoons of sea salt to one liter of water results in a favorable salt concentration. However, salinity the animals are relatively tolerant. The nauplii can be fed with algae or substitute dry yeast.

Depending on the salinity and feed the external appearance (morphology) may change.

Brine shrimp are 1-2 inches tall and can live for several months.

Breeding line Artemia Nyos

Artemia Nyos is the name of a particularly resistant breeding line of crustaceans the type of brine shrimp breeder Harold of Braunhut from New York, which has been marketed since 1960 under the trade name " Sea-Monkey ". The said trade name is widespread especially in the United States. The breeding line itself is commercially available and is used for research purposes, as animal feed ( fighting dogs ) and used for recreational and educational purposes. The name part Nyos comes from the abbreviation of " New York Ocean Science Laboratories " ( Marine Laboratory, New York).

Sea- Monkeys were marketed in the 1970s regularly via classified as " fantastic underwater little man " in comics and novels booklet. In the 1980s and 1990s, the breed was several times Yps - comic books for children, called " LBs " enclosed or promoted. In recent times, they are available as experimental kits on the market.